It Might Not Be A Great Idea To Buy Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:EG) For Its Next Dividend

It looks like Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:EG) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Typically, the ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the date on which a company determines the shareholders eligible to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is of consequence because whenever a stock is bought or sold, the trade takes at least one business day to settle. In other words, investors can purchase Everest Group's shares before the 26th of November in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of December.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$2.00 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$8.00 to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Everest Group has a trailing yield of 2.6% on the current share price of US$304.99. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Everest Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Everest Group has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

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Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Everest Group paid out more than half (61%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is.

View our latest analysis for Everest Group

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. With that in mind, we're discomforted by Everest Group's 12% per annum decline in earnings in the past five years. When earnings per share fall, the maximum amount of dividends that can be paid also falls.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Everest Group has delivered an average of 7.7% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. That's interesting, but the combination of a growing dividend despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out more of the company's profits. This can be valuable for shareholders, but it can't go on forever.

To Sum It Up

Is Everest Group worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have been declining and the company is paying out more than half its profits to shareholders; not an enticing combination. Everest Group doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend.

So if you're still interested in Everest Group despite it's poor dividend qualities, you should be well informed on some of the risks facing this stock. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Everest Group and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.